Our earlier patent application US2004/0224604 describes a molded brassiere (hereinafter referred to as “bra”) wherein the bra consists of an assembly of plies that have been molded and laminated to each other to define a bra or component for a bra. More specifically our earlier patent application describes a bra that includes a core assembly and outer and inner layers encasing the core assembly. The inner and outer layers encase the core assembly and also extend beyond the core assembly to define the chest bands of a bra. The earlier patent application describes that the inner and outer layers each preferably consists of an assembly of plies comprising of a fabric layer laminated with a foam layer. The foam layers of each of the inner and outer layers are presented towards each other so that the fabric layer is presented outermost on each of the inner and the outer facing surfaces of the bra. A bra that may be manufactured according to the invention described in our earlier patent application may result in the chest bands of the bra including the foam ply. However this may not in all circumstances or by all end users, be a desirable result. It may be desirable especially during summer seasons or in hotter climates, for minimal foam to be present in a bra. A foam ply enhances shaping and form integrity of a bra but such may be undesirable from a comfort point of view to the end user.
Being limited to having a chest band that includes at least some of the plies of material that also extend across the core assembly or the bra cup region to define the chest band can also limit flexibility in appearance and finish.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially molded bra having a foam-incorporating molded core assembly with a chest band that includes a ply or plies of material separately affixed to part of the core assembly, and in particular to provide such a bra wherein the chest band or bands may predominantly be absent of a foam ply or plies, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.